Federal law criminalizes gender-affirming care for minors nationwide

What it does

This bill makes it a federal crime (up to 5 years imprisonment and fines) for health care professionals to perform or assist in gender transition procedures on minors under 18. The bill defines gender transition procedures broadly to include puberty blockers, hormone therapy, and surgical interventions. Minors themselves cannot be prosecuted, but may sue providers civilly. The bill applies only when interstate commerce is involved (travel, payment, communication, or use of instruments crossing state lines). Exceptions exist for treatment of disorders of sex development and emergency medical care.

Why we flagged it

The bill's core mechanism is a federal criminal prohibition on a defined category of medical procedures performed on minors, with interstate commerce as the jurisdictional hook. This is a direct criminalization statute, not a funding restriction or regulatory amendment.

What the text implies

• The interstate commerce requirement may be interpreted broadly to capture nearly all gender transition care, since most medical supplies, pharmaceuticals, and communications cross state lines, potentially federalizing what would otherwise be state medical regulation.
• The private right of action creates liability exposure for providers even in states where the procedures remain legal under state law, creating a federal floor that overrides state permissiveness and may chill provision of care nationwide.
• The definition of 'gender transition procedure' includes cosmetic and aesthetic surgeries (facial feminization, breast implants, liposuction) that are not unique to gender transition, creating ambiguity about whether providers performing these procedures on minors for any reason face criminal exposure.
• Exclusions for 'disorders of sex development' rely on physician diagnosis and genetic/biochemical testing, but the bill does not define the threshold for such diagnosis, potentially creating prosecutorial discretion and defensive medicine that delays or denies care.
• The bill does not address the interaction with state medical boards, state law, or parental consent frameworks, creating potential conflict between federal criminalization and state-authorized medical practice.

Section numbers refer to the bill text the analysis read — linked under Primary records below.

Who it affects

The bill restricts medical autonomy and parental choice by criminalizing a category of medical care that some families and physicians believe is appropriate, while creating federal criminal liability that may deter providers from offering any such care even in states where it remains legal. Minors gain a private right of action against providers, but this is a narrow remedy that does not offset the broader restriction on access to medical treatment.

Named in the bill

U.S. Department of Justice, Federal Bureau of Investigation, State medical boards, Health care providers, Pharmaceutical manufacturers (puberty blockers, hormone therapies), Surgical facilities

Where it stands

18 cosponsors: 18 Republicans.

• Jun 3, 2025 — Introduced · Congress.gov: “Introduced in House”
• Jun 3, 2025 — Referred to House Committee on the Judiciary · Congress.gov: “Referred to the House Committee on the Judiciary”

Dates and quoted wording are Congress.gov's action record; the timeline shows status changes, not every procedural step.

Money around this bill

1 lobbying clients named this bill on 2 disclosure filings across 2 quarters, Dec 2025 to Jun 2026. Those filings disclosed $439,908 in lobbying spend. A filing names 132 bills on average, so that figure is what each filing reported, not a share belonging to this bill.

More lobbying clients named this bill than 0% of bills with at least one filing.

Doug LaMalfa, the sponsor, reported $279,010 in PAC receipts in the 2026 cycle.

• Human Rights Campaign — $439,908 on 2 filings

Lobbying Disclosure Act filings through Jul 17, 2026. A filing shows who paid to lobby on a bill it names, not what changed.